In order for a gun to be a sidelock, the fire control workings have to be mounted on the side plate itself, like so:
The Tobin is really neither, boxlock or sidelock. The Lefevers really arent either. I owned a Lefever for about 48 hours, and a friend wanted it way worse than I did.
Im pretty sure Im not interested in ever having a Lefever restocked, at my expense. I guess that isnt an advantage of the design.
The Tobin isnt a weak gun when used with the loads that were in common use at the time the patent was issued. It simply falls short with modern ammunition.
If one keeps that in mind, a Tobin can be a satisfactory shotgun. In my case, a Nitro Special filled the spot that the Tobin held, and I dont think too hard about what I shoot out of the Nitro.
Best,
Ted
